FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

Top engineer Dall'Ara leaves Sauber F1 team

Sauber's head of track engineering Giampaolo Dall'Ara has left the Formula 1 team after over a decade with the Swiss squad.

The 47-year-old Italian is believed to be heading to the DTM with BMW, although the move has not been confirmed yet.

Dall'Ara will be replaced by Timothy Malyon, who had previously worked at Red Bull Racing as a race engineer.

"Giampaolo Dall'Ara has decided to leave our company after more than 15 years of service to pursue another challenge," a Sauber spokesperson told Motorsport.com.

"We would like to thank Giampaolo for his dedicated and highly valued collaboration over all these years. We wish him all the best for the future."

[MIKA27]

Analysis: F1 teams ready to abandon planned 2017 downforce gains

Formula 1 teams are backing away from plans to dramatically increase downforce for 2017 in a move that looks set to leave the onus of increased speeds to come from Pirelli's wider tyres.

Although discussions about the 2017 F1 rules package are still ongoing and nothing has been formally confirmed, sources have confirmed that the scale of the revamp planned for next year is set to be watered down through the abandoning of aerodynamic concepts that had been agreed.

This will mean the original idea of a speed gain of five seconds per lap is set to be reduced to around three seconds.

This decision to cut back on the planned push for higher downforce levels effectively represents a victory for Mercedes – and a corresponding defeat for Red Bull – although there is no consensus on what will happen.

Downforce overhaul

F1 teams had provisionally agreed on a package of changes based largely on a proposal honed by Red Bull – which included a substantial increase in downforce thanks to bigger wings and a larger diffuser.

However, as first revealed by Motorsport.com, at a meeting of technical directors in November, Mercedes expressed concerns about the extra loading that high downforce would place on tyres.

Sceptical rivals suggested that the agenda of the world champion team was to protect its competitive advantage by reducing the future impact of any rule changes, but a compromise investigation was launched.

At the same time, Pirelli had its own concerns about the potential extra loadings, and subsequently made a presentation to teams to that effect at the most recent meeting of technical chiefs, which took place at Heathrow on December 17 last year.

The Italian company's main concern was that it would have to significantly increase minimum pressures to deal with higher downforce - and those extreme pressure levels would in turn impact cornering performance, and in effect cancel out the downforce increase.

The FIA took Pirelli's argument on board and asked the teams to vote on a revised 2017 package, with a much smaller downforce increase.

It is understood that there was a vote of 8-3 in favour of a toned-down package, with only two other teams joining Red Bull in supporting the original plans.

What now?

The intention now is to stick with the 2016 diffuser dimensions, while the planned increase in bodywork width from 1400mm to 1800m has also been cancelled.

One team insider told Motorsport.com: “After the last technical meeting, during which Pirelli presented their findings, it was decided by majority to revert back to the 2016 bodywork and diffuser regulations for 2017.

“Pirelli expressed significant concern over the anticipated increase in load levels so a decision was made to cut back the downforce increase previously proposed for 2017. Red Bull were very upset about these changes.”

Although the decision to abandon some of the chief ideas for 2017 is disappointing for those hoping for a big leap forward in pace, some changes will remain.

The push for wider front and rear wings and more freedom in the bargeboard area will be retained.

The bodywork “chin” length will also be reduced by 100mm, allowing cars to run slightly lower.

The cosmetic changes designed to improve the look of the cars, such as swept back front wing, rear endplates and leading edge of the sidepods, will also stay.

Overtaking worries

Although safety concerns were the prime mover behind the reduced emphasis on downforce, another concern was that a big change would make it even harder for cars to follow each other, and thus the revised plan could make for better racing.

Last year Pat Symonds of Williams made it clear that year that the original 2017 package would not make overtaking any easier.

“My belief is that the more downforce you have on a car, the harder it is to follow,” he said. “And this car has more downforce.

“Therefore irrespective of any niceties that the Overtaking Working Group may have come up with, and irrespective of whether one believes them or not – and as a member of that group I know what short cuts we did against the true scientific process – the fact is if you've got more downforce, the harder it is to follow.

"I think that's simplistic, but nevertheless quite a true view.”

[MIKA27]

Tour of Haas F1 team's Banbury facility

Team principal Guenther Steiner takes CNN International's The Circuit on a behind-the-scenes tour of Haas F1 Team's Banbury facility.

[MIKA27]

F1 team radio clampdown ‘not enough’, says Alesi

Grand Prix winner Jean Alesi says Formula 1's move to clamp down on team radio does not go far enough.

In July, the FIA renewed a push to minimise driver aids – and ordered that coaching from the pit wall become far more restricted.

But Alesi, who earned a reputation as one of the most exciting drivers in F1, thinks the move by the FIA should have gone much further – and that bigger restrictions should be in place.

“The clampdown on the radio is not enough,” he told Motorsport.com.

“With the radio, the engineers say pit now – and there is too much information. The driver should race by himself and see what he can do.

“The solution to problems in F1 has to be to make the car more attractive from the outside and the competition less organised with the radio.”

Turbo criticisms

The French driver added that the current V6 hybrid engine was not the best decision from a sporting point of view.

“They are very efficient; and the technology for the environment is okay - but not in terms of motorsport and the noise.”

However, with the huge amount of investment made by the manufacturers, he believes, there is no way F1 can go back on it now.

“The problem is that they went too far, the manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes,” he said.

[MIKA27]

BOTTAS: I AM STILL READY TO WIN

Valtteri Bottas believes Williams is on track to have a better season in 2016 than they did last year.

The Finn reportedly almost signed last year to switch to Ferrari, but he will instead stay with the Grove based team.

Williams, as in 2014, finished third overall last year, but Bottas says he was slightly disappointed with his 2015-spec car.

“Yes,” the 26-year-old told the Finnish broadcaster MTV, “the others clearly developed more than we were able to.

“We found improvements in areas that were weaknesses in the previous year, but it was just not enough,” Bottas added. “Especially Ferrari made a big jump.”

Asked, therefore, what he wants for 2016, he smiled: “Hopefully more power and grip.

“Everything I’ve heard about the new car is positive,” Bottas revealed. “The development work has gone well and there have been no setbacks. It sounds good and looks good on paper, but have to see how the car works in practice and how much the others have gone forward.”

A year ago, Bottas declared that after 2014, he was “ready to win” in 2015.

So now for 2016, he said: “I believe it (winning) is quite possible this year, as long as the car is better.”

“Last year was pretty difficult — there were all sorts of little difficulties, but we learned a lot. If you want to write something, you can say that I am still ready to win,” Bottas smiled.

[MIKA27]

WILL MALDONADO BE ON THE F1 GRID THIS SEASON?

Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado’s future at the Renault-owned Lotus team was called into question on Wednesday amid speculation about his funding from Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA.

The BBC, citing unnamed sources, reported that substantial sponsorship money from PDVSA was several weeks overdue and Maldonado’s seat was at risk.

Danish driver Kevin Magnussen, the 23-year-old who was released by McLaren last October after an impressive 2014 debut, has also been seen visiting the team’s factory recently.

Renault, who completed their purchase of Lotus last month, have yet to name a reserve driver and Magnussen would be well qualified for that role after failing to secure a race drive elsewhere.

Media are reporting that Renault officials were in Venezuela for talks with PDVSA but Magnussen was on the shortlist if a Plan B was needed.

Lotus had announced both Maldonado and British rookie Jolyon Palmer, winner of Formula One’s GP2 feeder series in 2014, as their 2016 drivers before the Renault takeover had been finalised.

Renault are due to hold a news conference in Paris in February to announce their plans and will want to be sure about the driver line-up before then. The season starts in Australia on March 20.

Neither Maldonado nor his manager Nicolas Todt, whose father Jean is president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), were immediately available.

The BBC quoted a Renault spokesman as saying Maldonado, a race winner with Williams in Spain in 2012, had a contract and the rest was speculation.

“We have a contract with Pastor. That is the current situation. Who knows what could happen by Australia but, at the moment, we are going forward with Pastor and Jolyon,” he said.

The tens of millions of dollars that PDVSA brought to the team made the quick but crash-prone driver’s position secure at financially struggling Lotus, who risked going into administration last year.

Renault, as a major car manufacturer with big ambitions for a team that they won titles with in a previous existence, are less in thrall to such considerations and more sensitive to other factors.

Venezuelans are reeling from annual inflation thought to be in triple digits, a deep economic recession and shortages of basic goods, which have been aggravated by the tumble in oil prices.

The country’s opposition recently won control of the National Assembly from the ruling Socialist party for the first time in nearly 17 years.

PDVSA has backed Maldonado throughout his career, with the country’s late president Hugo Chavez seeking to boost Venezuela’s international image through sporting success.

The oil company has faced negative headlines recently, however, after U.S. authorities said last month they had traced over $1 billion to a conspiracy involving a Venezuelan magnate and the company.

[MIKA27]

GUTIERREZ: POINTS IS OUR TARGET FROM THE BEGINNING

Returning F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez has confirmed that the new Haas F1 Team is targeting points finishes in its debut season.

While F1’s newest teams like HRT, Caterham and Manor struggled more for mere survival than for points, the American outfit Haas is coming into F1 with a different model.

The team is working closely with Ferrari, even taking on the Maranello marque’s Mexican reserve driver Gutierrez and being described by many as the red camp’s ‘B’ team. Bosses Gene Haas and Gunther Steiner are therefore targeting immediate points.

During a visit to Haas’ North Carolina headquarters, Gutierrez confirmed: “That [points] is our target, from the beginning. We want to be there,” the 24-year-old told USA Today.

“Obviously, we want to be careful on our expectations. We’re working hard to be prepared with the best car possible, but we will not know until the first test,” he added.

“From the perspective of being a new team, (points) is an ambitious challenge. But we’re here to compete. I think we have done things pretty well so far from team preparation and we want to target that.”

Haas released a video this week showing that its team transporters have been coloured all white with red lettering ahead of next month’s Barcelona test.

Gutierrez’s teammate will be the highly-rated former Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.

“Initially we haven’t talked much,” said the Mexican, “but now I’ll have more contact with him because we need to work together to integrate the team and achieve the best results.”

“Personally my goal is very simple,” he told the Mexican edition of GQ magazine. “To work with my teammate to always go forward, whilst at the same time trying to beat him.”

[MIKA27]

VW MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR CAPITO TO BECOME MCLAREN CEO

Volkswagen motorsport director Jost Capito has been appointed chief executive of McLaren Racing as the Honda-powered Formula One team seek to rejoin the frontrunners after their worst ever season.

The 57-year-old German replaces Jonathan Neale who has been handed a wider remit as chief operating officer of the parent McLaren Technology Group, McLaren said in a statement on Thursday.

Volkswagen said in a separate statement that Capito would leave ‘during the course of the year’ and continue to perform his duties of Motorsport Director until a successor had been appointed.

McLaren do not have an officially designated team principal, with Frenchman Eric Boullier effectively carrying out much of the role as hands-on racing director and remaining in that position.

Ron Dennis, a shareholder and former principal, remains executive chairman and chief executive of the McLaren Technology Group.

Capito has a strong track record in motorsport and has led Volkswagen’s multiple title-winning world rally championship team since 2012, winning 34 of 39 events during his tenure.

He has also worked for Ford, who won world rally championships under his leadership, BMW and the Sauber Formula One team.

“I first approached Jost last summer,” Dennis said in a statement. “He is an extremely impressive, competitive and ambitious individual, who comes to us with a very wide range of automotive and motorsport experience.

“I am certain that he will work extremely well with Eric and all at McLaren Racing, building on the very good work they have already done to take the McLaren-Honda programme forward towards grand prix victories and world championship successes.”

McLaren, the second most successful Formula One team in terms of race victories, have not won a grand prix since the end of 2012.

Their won their last championship in 2008 with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who won the first of his three world titles with McLaren before moving to Mercedes.

The Woking-based team had a rough start to their new partnership with Honda in 2015, with Spain’s double champion Fernando Alonso and Britain’s 2009 winner Jenson Button repeatedly let down by engine failures.

They ended the year ninth of the 10 teams with just 27 points.

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, are wrestling with an emissions cheating scandal that erupted in September and has sent their shares down by about a fifth.

Capito said in October that the company’s world rally project would continue until at least the end of 2019.

[MIKA27]

HEMBERY EXPECTS INTERESTING EARLY SEASON TYRE CHOICES

Pirelli chief Paul Hembery on Thursday said he is expecting Formula 1 to enjoy an exciting start to the 2016 world championship season season.

For this year, the tyre rules have been tweaked so that drivers can select from a range of three compounds brought by Pirelli to each grand prix.

For the first four races, the Italian marque is bringing the medium, soft and super soft, and Pirelli chief Hembery said he thinks the situation will spice up F1.

“I don’t think at the start of the year you’re going to see the same as normal,” he was quoted by Britain’s Sky.

“I’m quite sure – and rumour has it – that some of the decisions by the teams for the start of the year are going to be interesting. So that’s quite exciting,” said Hembery.

“But our view is that during the year there will probably be a lot of normalising between the teams where the choices will become rather similar as the season goes on,” he added.

[MIKA27]

SUTIL SUING SAUBER FOR $3.5 MILLION

Once again as a new Formula 1 season looms, there is legal trouble lies ahead for Sauber.

Last year it was the high-profile dispute with Giedo van der Garde, and Swiss reports now suggest that another disgruntled driver is pressing a claim against Sauber.

The Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper said the Zurich supreme court has this week ruled as admissible a claim for 3.5 million Swiss francs ($3.5m) filed by lawyers for Adrian Sutil.

Like van der Garde, German Sutil reportedly inked a contract for 2015 with the Swiss team, but the team ultimately gave its race seats to Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson.

The report said Sauber argued in court that Sutil lost his place due to poor performance, had incurred race penalties, stalled the engine and had been publicly critical of the team in a press conference.

Sauber claims Sutil, who is now a reserve driver for Williams, also promised to raise some 40 million Swiss francs in sponsorship that was never delivered, Neue Zurcher Zeitung added.

As for Sutil’s apparent court victory this week, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Blick newspaper: “The decision concerns only procedural matters.”

33-year-old Sutil, meanwhile, commented: “I am calm about it as I did nothing wrong.”

[MIKA27]

PODIUM CHAMPAGNE SPONSOR DITCHES F1

Long-time podium champagne sponsor Mumm is leaving Formula 1.

Owner Pernod Ricard is believed to pay EUR 5 million per year for the privilege of being sprayed on the podiums of the world, but the deal has been deemed “insufficient” by F1 management, according to thedrinksbusiness.com.

“In our mission to continually innovate, excite and push the boundaries, we have chosen to explore a new opportunity – Formula E, electric motor racing – as it is truly ground breaking, has a strong fit with our brand values and is a natural evolution in motor racing,” Pernod Ricard confirmed.

It is believed Moet et Chandon will be F1’s new champagne supplier.

[MIKA27]

Verstappen goes for a spin on Austria's slopes

Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen takes a Red Bull Formula 1 car on the slopes during a Showrun at the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

[MIKA27]

No Aston Martin deal for Force India in 2016

Force India's chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed that the team will not carry Aston Martin branding this season.

He said, however, that the two companies are still talking, and that they could yet have a relationship in the future.

Aston Martin's interest in an F1 sponsorship deal became public knowledge in July, and after initial talks with Red Bull fizzled out the company talked to other teams, with Force India emerging as the most logical candidate.

As Motorsport.com reported last month, Aston Martin had postponed any decision until January, and insisted that any decision on a future motor sport strategy had to incorporate its sportscar racing plans.

The biggest issue has always been that the company does not have the budget with which to make an impact in F1, despite the obvious appeal for both sides.

"It's a big step, and it's flattering that Aston Martin have been talking to is," Szafnauer said at the Autosport show today.

"We're still discussing. In the short term, meaning 2016, I don't see that type of re-branding happening. But you never know what the future holds thereafter."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli expects 2017 cars to be five seconds quicker despite no aero gains

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery says Formula 1 cars will still be some five seconds quicker by 2017, despite the expected abandonment of plans for downforce gains.

Plans for a major overhaul of aero rules to make the cars much faster by 2017 are set to be scrapped, as both Mercedes and Pirelli had expressed concerns about the load that the extra downforce would place on the tyres.

Hembery says Pirelli could produce a tyre that would be able to handle the added load, but he warns that would change its behaviour quite significantly - to the potential detriment of the racing.

"We can make a tyre to resist any load you want, but it won't be the same tyre we use today," Hembery said at the Autosport International show on Thursday.

"So if you want 50, 60 percent higher load with aero, you're not going to have the type of tyre we've had the last few seasons.

"The indication we've given is, if you want to keep the normality of what we've been used to in F1, there are limitations to the loads you can use."

However, the Briton is convinced the combination of wider tyres and wider cars set to be introduced in 2017 will make up for the lack of added downforce in a more natural way.

"There's going to be natural evolution from 2015 to 2017 anyway with development," he added. "Add in wider tyres and wider chassis, you're going to be four to five seconds quicker."

More thought needed

Hembery also cautioned that F1 should consider carefully whether it wants increases in lap time to come purely through cornering speeds, as has been proposed.

"A lot of [the gain] is going to be cornering, as you'll have more drag in a straight line with wider tyres, and that's a huge change," he explained.

"I recall when we came into the sport, Ross Brawn was head of the tyre working group.

"One of his first points was: 'We don't want to be quicker round corners'. So when we're asked to go quicker in corners, that's something we need to be very careful about.

"People need to realise the performance of F1 cars is already very high, and that five seconds is a huge change. We need to be sure we're going in the right direction."

[MIKA27]

Force India will benefit from limited winter testing - Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg thinks the reduction in pre-season testing in 2016 will benefit Force India, especially in the early races on the calendar.

After introducing a B-Spec car at Silverstone last year Force India, who missed a significant amount of winter testing in 2015, finished strongly and took a podium through Sergio Perez in Russia. This year the Jerez test has been scrapped, leaving the teams with just two four-day tests in Barcelona to run their 2016 challengers before the Australian Grand Prix.

Force India does not enjoy the wealth of resources available to many of its rivals and Hulkenberg believes could mean the smaller testing schedule is beneficial.

"Less testing could mean better opportunities during the first couple of races if we're better prepared than others and have kept the momentum [of 2015]," he told the official F1 website. "At the end of the day [eight days] is all everybody has and we all have to work with this time."

Hulkenberg won the Le Mans 24 Hours at the first attempt last year but is still yet to visit the F1 podium. The German driver thinks he and Force India can kick on this season and challenge for even stronger results.

"It's always difficult to judge what others will do and where you will pan out for the first race. But from what I have seen of what the team is doing and developing, I think we can challenge for good results - probably even better than in 2015."

[MIKA27]

Honda aiming for larger turbo in 2016

Honda chief Yasuhisa Arai has confessed the manufacturer needs a bigger turbocharger despite planning to keep a more compact engine package for 2016.

Honda endured a disastrous return to F1 with McLaren last year, with its power unit lacking performance and reliability for much of the season. As well as chronic problems with the energy recovery system (ERS), the constructor's split-turbo design caused problems.

Unlike Mercedes' split-turbo design, Honda opted for a much more compact layout to fit the compressor inside the cylinder bank. This meant the turbine and compressor had to be downsized -- in part due to McLaren's 'size-zero' MP4-30 chassis -- and the lower power generated by both penalised the internal combustion engine (ICE). As a result, the MGU-H absorbed less power from the turbine and was less capable of charging the battery which supplements the MGU-K.

"The size led to the inefficiency," Arai told F1i. "The size is small so the engine needed high pressure air. So that means the high rotation -- 120,000rpm -- is the limitation."

Asked whether Honda would need to change the layout of the 'Vee', the part of the engine where the compressor is located, in order to fit a bigger turbo, he replied: "There won't be such a big change. We'll still have a compact layout, but I know that we need a bigger size of turbocharger. So keeping the concept but changing the inside of the chamber or making any part smaller is a big target."

Arai admits Honda suffered from the lofty expectations he set the manufacturer when it arrived in the sport, with the Japanese company immediately challenging for podiums in 2015. He has reset the targets for the upcoming campaign and believes becoming a regular fixture in Q3 has to be the priority.

"You know that before the winter tests [in 2015] I said some things about podiums and everyone said I had a big mouth! I hope we can get to the podium but I can't say right now when or what race. Everyone - not only me - hopes to be in a good position. So the first step is to get in to Q3, that's the first step."

[MIKA27]

RONNIE PETERSON: 1975 DOCUMENTARY

Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish Formula One driver whose career was cut short in a first corner incident with James Hunt in 1978. He’s remembered as a staggeringly talented driver who was nicknamed the SuperSwede by his fans and fellow drivers, and it’s thought that he would have added at least one driver’s world championship to his record if he’d had more time.

Peterson started racing in karts in the 1960s, he won a number of championships including two Swedish titles before moving into Formula Three. In F3 he won a number of races before taking the European Formula Three Championship in 1969, in 1970 he moved into F1 for the first time racing for the March factory team. In 1973 Ronnie moved to Lotus to partner Emerson Fittipaldi, this film takes place in 1975 and it’s partially in Swedish and partially in English – it does include English subtitles during the Swedish parts.

If you’d like to read more about Ronnie you can click here to visit his official website.

[MIKA27]

HULKENBERG: DREAMING IN RED IS A DANGEROUS THING IN F1

Nico Hulkenberg says he is content for now at Force India, despite at one point last season being a candidate for Ferrari before the Maranello outfit extended Kimi Raikkonen’s deal..

The German’s teammate, Mexican Sergio Perez, makes no secret of his desire for a seat further up the grid, after the disappointment of his first chance with a top team, McLaren, in 2013.

Force India chief Bob Fernley has also said that Hulkenberg, one of the most highly-rated drivers not already with a top team, will not be stopped from moving up the grid in the near-future.

But the 28-year-old inked a two-year contract extension late last year to stay with the Silverstone based team until the end of 2017.

Hulkenberg says he is happy where he is, “I have extended my contract at Force India and I am eager to deliver the best.”

“For me, it’s not just about the rows (on the grid) — there is more to it. Formula one has always been a team sport. It’s about the people you work with — and I’m currently very happy with my team.”

But when told that he must be coveting a Ferrari seat for the future, Hulkenberg insisted: “As I just said, right now I am very happy where I am.”

“Force India is a cool team. And dreaming is a dangerous thing in F1 — especially dreaming in red,” he added mischievously.

[MIKA27]

MARKO: RENAULT SHOULD PUT EVERYTHING ON US

Renault would be wiser to direct the bulk of its effort into Red Bull says Helmut Marko, just as the French carmaker turns a sharp corner with the direction of its F1 programme.

In recent years, Red Bull has been considered the de-facto ‘works’ Renault team, but for 2016 the manufacturer has bought Lotus and will supply only ‘TAG-Heuer’-branded power units to the energy drink outfit.

But Marko told Motorsport Magazin: “When I consider the current Lotus team, which is now the Renault factory team, then if they (Renault) were in their right mind they would put everything on us.”

The outspoken Red Bull official said he expects little from the Enstone team in 2016, especially “with that team and with those drivers”.

He is referring to Pastor Maldonado and Jolyon Palmer, although there is speculation Maldonado could be replaced by the former McLaren junior Kevin Magnussen.

France’s L’Equipe reports that Renault is looking to immediately hire more than thirty new staff in all areas at Enstone ahead of the 2016 season.

But Marko insists that, for Red Bull at least, little is changing, “Renault has its own team but we were always a paying customer.”

And he said even though Red Bull is no longer Renault’s premier team, it has “contractually secured” the promise that Red Bull will always be up-to-date with the latest engine developments.

In the meantime, the junior outfit Toro Rosso has switched to 2015-spec Ferrari power.

“If we start with the existing power figures,” said Marko, “then Toro Rosso has an advantage of about five to six tenths per lap.

“But they have the drawback that they cannot have the current (Ferrari) engine, and with no development.

“If there is the status quo from last year, then Toro Rosso for sure will be ahead of us at the first race. Although this is not pleasant, it is not a problem,” Marko said.

“We are a family and the main team, Red Bull Racing, must just try harder. But I’m sure that with engine development we will at least come to the level of the (2015) Ferrari engines during the season,” he added.

[MIKA27]

BERGER: IN MY DAY F1 WAS LIKE RIDING ON A CANNONBALL

Gerhard Berger thinks Formula 1 is not the spectacle it once was.

“Yes,” the Austrian F1 legend and former McLaren and Ferrari driver told German-language Motorsport Magazin at amid the Kitzbuhel ski slopes. “We have a somewhat difficult time in F1.

“On the one hand we have seen a very dominant Mercedes. Of course, if someone has done their homework and performed well, they deserve respect and should be rewarded,” said Berger.

But he also thinks F1 has lost some of the excitement of the past.

“In my time,” said the 56-year-old, “it was not clear after the first corner who would win the race. If everything is normal and Hamilton or Rosberg are first after the first corner, he will win the race.

“In my time you ran out of fuel, the gearbox broke, someone’s engine failed. You never knew.”

And there are other reasons for F1’s more lacklustre ‘show’ of today, Berger explained.

“Driving mistakes in my time were punished,” he said. “You were in the barrier or at least the gravel. Today, the run-off is paved and if you’re lucky you don’t even lose a place as you come back to the track.”

The cars, Berger continued, are also not the same today, “We had 1300 or 1400 hp without automatic transmissions, without electronic aids and without today’s aerodynamics. It was like riding on a cannonball.”

“Now the cars have 850 horse power, and you also see sports cars on the road with 850hp, if not more. And the whole thing is so stable with today’s aerodynamics.”

Formerly a teammate to the great Ayrton Senna, Berger said he now sees only MotoGP as the stage for true motor racing heroes.

“When I see these very spectacular races with 270hp and 160kg (bikes), we know that this is riding on a cannonball. In F1 we have to go back so that the driver is the determining factor and only three, four or five guys are able to master it,” he said.

Having acknowledged the issue, F1 had intended to dramatically spice up the rules for 2017 and 2018 so that the cars are five seconds a lap faster, and in excess of 1000hp.

[MIKA27]

PDVSA PLAYS DOWN MALDONADO AXE REPORTS

A source at PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company, has played down speculation about Pastor Maldonado’s immediate future in Formula 1.

Reports have suggested that amid a corruption scandal and the plunging price of oil, the company is late to make its due payments to the Enstone based Renault team.

Other rumours, however, say a share-price plunging Renault may be facing a Volkswagen-like emissions scandal of its own, and therefore wants to shy away from associating with another scandal-ridden company like PDVSA.

So amid reports Maldonado could be replaced by Kevin Magnussen, a PDVSA source said: “This is all speculation at the moment.

“We have not received any information other than what was agreed last year with Lotus,” the source told the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal.

However, the source did not deny it has held meetings this week with Renault officials in Caracas, “Such meetings are always held to plan joint activities, so it is nothing strange.”

[MIKA27]

FORMULA 1 CLOSE TO ENGINE SOLUTION CLAIMS TODT

FIA president Jean Todt says he is confident F1 is moving towards a solution on the thorny topic of engines.

The manufacturers had been given a deadline of January 15 – Friday – to come up with alternate proposals to the controversial idea of ‘parallel’ engine rules.

“I think we are very close,” said the FIA president, amid speculation the carmakers want to keep the current ‘power units’ but will agree to sell them to customers at a much lower price.

Todt said the proposals will be aired at Monday’s strategy group meeting in Geneva.

Also to be discussed there, he said, is the renewed idea of bringing back refuelling, and whether it would help to spice up an increasingly criticised sport.

“At least we should discuss it,” said Todt.

He also played down suggestions that the 21-race calendar for 2016 is too long, saying: “If you love motor sport and have access to it, you have to be happy.

“We must not forget that there are people in the world who do not have any access — even to drinking water.”

[MIKA27]

FORMULA 1 WILL BE MUCH LOUDER IN 2016

Williams technical boss Pat Symonds reeled that he expects engine volume of Formula 1 will be turned up substantially this year.

He said on Friday that, simply through “normal development” of the power units since their introduction in 2014, they are already louder. But for 2016, rule changes to the wastegate will deliberately turn up the volume.

“When (the wastegate) is closed, it is about 14 per cent louder,” Symonds is quoted as saying in international media reports. “And when open, it will be up to 20 to 25 per cent, so quite a lot.”

Symonds was also asked about FIA president Jean Todt’s claim that, for the sake of the ‘show’, F1 should consider accepting the relatively low cost of reintroducing in-race refuelling.

“It will cost far more than EUR 50,000 (per team) – that will not even pay for the freight,” he is quoted by L’Equipe. “It will also have an impact on race strategy so for me I would be sorry if we brought it (refuelling) back.”

MIKA: I'd love refuelling to return. Like Berger stated in the article above, part of what made F1 exciting in the day was the fact that some teams made strategic errors with fuel. Less fuel, faster a car goes, but if a mistake is made, you also run out of fuel and stop/DNF. Bring it back please!!

[MIKA27]

PIRELLI WANTS BEST DRIVERS FOR 2017 TYRE TESTS

Pirelli wants feedback from Formula 1’s top drivers who they want to test their tyres later this year.

Two in-season tests after the Spanish and British grands prix have already been scheduled, but the official tyre supplier also wants to hold extra sessions in order to prepare for sweeping rule changes for 2017.

For the forthcoming wet tyre test at Paul Ricard, however, it is believed both Ferrari and McLaren will only field test drivers. But for the 2017 tyre tests, Pirelli chief Paul Hembery said he wants the top teams to put its number 1 drivers on duty.

“We are facing a big change and we want to have the best teams and drivers to try the new products,” he is quoted by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Hembery said he wants the testing to take place in June and July, “Two or three top teams with their top drivers, that’s what we need. They raise the level because they are world champions. We want to test the fastest cars in the most extreme conditions possible.”

Meanwhile, Hembery admitted that while Pirelli has agreed a deal with Bernie Ecclestone, an actual contract for 2017 and beyond is yet to be signed with the FIA.

“I do not anticipate any problems,” said the Briton. “We have already signed with Ecclestone and the rest will follow.”

[MIKA27]

TOMBAZIS RETURNS TO F1 AS MANOR AERO CHIEF

Former Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis is returning to Formula 1.

After nine years with the fabled Maranello team, the Greek engineer was ousted amid Ferrari’s wide-ranging team shakeup at the end of 2014.

Also a prominent former McLaren designer, the 47-year-old has now signed up with the newly Mercedes-powered backmarker Manor for 2016.

In a statement, Manor – to also use a Williams gearbox this year – said he will be chief aerodynamicist.

“The team has impressive plans and is investing in all the right areas to achieve its on-track ambitions, so I am very much looking forward to being part of that journey,” said Tombazis.

Statement:

The Manor F1 Team is pleased to announce the appointment of Nikolas Tombazis to the role of Chief Aerodynamicist.

Nikolas needs no introduction, having enjoyed a long and accomplished career in Formula 1. His first Aerodynamicist role was with Benetton Formula in 1992, progressing to Chief Aerodynamicist the following year, a position he went on to hold with both Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren. Latterly, his remit has been more wide-ranging, focusing on the broader perspective of car design. In 2005 he became McLaren’s Project Chief Director, prior to returning to Maranello for a nine-year spell as Chief Designer.

Nikolas commences his role with immediate effect and under the leadership of Technical Director John McQuilliam.

John McQuilliam, Technical Director, Manor F1 Team: “I am delighted to announce Nikolas in the position of Chief Aerodynamicist. I believe this appointment will help to amplify the efforts of a very talented design team that, in recent years, has not had the opportunity to showcase the full extent of their experience and capabilities. I am confident that, together with our new Mercedes power unit and Williams gearbox and technical partnership, our new aero structure will provide us with the strength to design and develop consistently competitive racing cars to help steer us towards our long-term ambitions.”

Nikolas Tombazis: “I am very happy to be joining the Manor F1 Team at this exciting time in its development. The team has impressive plans and is investing in all the right areas to achieve its on-track ambitions, so I am very much looking forward to being part of that journey. The existing design team is already very strong and I look forward to working with a great group of people to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead to help us progress through the field over the next few seasons.”